Lake Darling Dam

Lake Darling Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Souris River located 20 mi (32 km) northwest of Minot, in Ward County, North Dakota. The dam began impounding water in April 1936 and was completed July of that year. It was created for the purposes of water storage and conservation.[2] It is part of the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge and is owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The dam and lake are named after Jay N. "Ding" Darling, the first director of the Bureau of Biological Survey.[3] Although the dam is located in Ward County, Lake Darling is almost entirely located in Renville County, to its north.

Lake Darling Dam
Lake Darling Dam releases 22,000 cubic feet per second (620 m3/s) on June 27 during 2011 Souris River flood.
Location of Lake Darling Dam in North Dakota
Country	United States
Location	Ward County, northwest of Minot
Coordinates	48°27′27″N 101°35′00″W
Status	Operational
Opening date	1936
Owner(s)	United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, earthen
Impounds	Souris River
Height	39 ft (12 m)
Length	3,300 ft (1,006 m)
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Darling
Total capacity	110,000 acre⋅ft (135,683,002 m3)
Catchment area	9,450 sq mi (24,500 km2)
Surface area	15.6 sq mi (40 km2)
Maximum water depth	26 ft (8 m)[1]

The Fish and Wildlife Service owns and operates the dam during normal conditions. During flood conditions operational control is turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers according to a 1989 memorandum of understanding.[4] During the 2011 Souris River flood, the dam's reservoir reached maximum levels and releases of 7,500 cu ft/s (210 m³/s) in early June, contributing to flooding downstream.[5][6] By June 26, releases had reached 24,000 cu ft/s (680 m³/s) and were incrementally reduced thereafter.[7]